Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Following months of talk about the band’s farewell world tour, the surprise retirement of guitarist K.K. Downing just six weeks before its launch, and the addition of Richie Faulkner, the talk is over – the metal has begun.

Priest kicked off the Epitaph tour Tuesday in Tilburg, Holland, with a setlist heavy on hits and classics.

"It's not exactly the end of the band, it's just the fact that we won't really be doing any more world tours," guitarist Glenn Tipton told Rolling Stone recently. "It takes a big chunk out of your life. We've been doing it for 40 years now or close to it, and we all love that moment on stage, but it's difficult to be away from home and all the traveling involved. Now, if somebody came along and said, 'Would you do a small string of dates,' we wouldn’t automatically say no to that. But in general, this is probably the last chance you'll get to see Priest live."